Contents

Introduction

Between 2005 and 2010, as many as 23 percent of the new oil and gas wells drilled in Indiana used hydraulic fracturing.[1]

Click here for a map of existing horizontal wells in the state, and here for a map of completed horizontal wells.

History

Hydraulic fracturing was first introduced in the Illinois Basin in the early to mid-1950's to increase production from oil wells in Illinois, Indiana, and western Kentucky. According to the state's Division of Oil and Gas, the practice has been widely used here ever since.[2]

The Devonian-Mississippian New Albany Shale contains gas in the southeast Illinois Basin, encompassing Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. The New Albany has been a site of gas production for more than 100 years, but activity increased in the early 2000s with hydraulic fracturing. Wells are 250 to 2000 feet deep. The gas is described as having a mixed biogenic and thermogenic origin.

Citizen activism

In June 2013 the Terre Haute City Council voted to ban “fracking” within the city limits until further notice. The council said the vote would ensure that “fracking” is not used in any operations within the city until updates can be made to city law on oil and gas drilling.[3]

Legislative issues and regulations

New rules that temporarily add noncode provisions to govern hydraulic fracturing became effective on July 1, 2012, requiring companies to report the materials and the volume of chemicals used in the fracturing fluid. Companies, however, may withhold information they deem confidential without justification or oversight. The rules require partial pre-fracturing disclosure or notice of all the chemicals that may be used.[4]